


Nightmares

by itmightgetweird



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Marvel Universe, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-29
Updated: 2017-11-29
Packaged: 2019-02-08 09:49:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12861984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itmightgetweird/pseuds/itmightgetweird
Summary: A bad night leads to a change in your relationship with your neighbor.





	Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> abduction, angst, fluff at the end because I can’t be entirely terrible

It was an ordinary evening of watching Netflix until you heard a tentative knock at your front door. After a couple seconds of grabbing at your blanket so it remained securely around your shoulders, you padded over to the door, opening it wide to reveal the large frame of one of your neighbors blocking the view of the rest of the hallway. You shuffled aside and he wordlessly made his way into your living room and plopped down on the furthest end of the couch.

The show you were watching probably wasn’t something Bucky was interested in, but given that he didn’t even greet you when you opened the door, you figured he was still in his quiet spell so you didn’t bother engaging with him yet. And that was fine. You understood he was like that sometimes.

He and Steve explained once why they often sought you out after harder missions. Even though their little two bedroom apartment across from yours was physically separate from the compound, sometimes it still felt the same. They liked your place because it was obviously different. Your furniture was plush and colorful instead of pale and modern, your walls were covered with pictures of you with friends and paintings you’d done yourself, and you had an extensive movie collection. Everything was a wonderful distraction.

And the best part, they said, was you. You were a breath of fresh air. You had your own job with your own life and they found comfort in listening to you talk about what was going on in your world.

It seemed like no time at all passed before Bucky’s posture shifted beside you. He took a deep breath as his legs stretched out and his head fell back, casting his tired stare at the ceiling. His flexed his left hand a little, maybe working through a ghost pain in his arm. His right hand reached out to you and you didn’t hesitate to link your fingers with his.

You felt guilty for enjoying these nights. It wasn’t that you were glad they had rough days, but you’d be lying if you said you didn’t love feeling needed. And by two guys who, for all intents and purposes, looked like they could each handle anything life threw at them plus some.

Most times, they came over as a pair. Steve would sit in your recliner and engage in small talk for a while. He’d ask about your day, your family, your fish, hoping something would prompt a story. He said you were really animated when you got excited. After he felt calm enough, he’d pull you to your feet and wrap his arms around you in an amazing hug and thank you for being like an anchor to him. Then he’d tell you to take care of Bucky and go back across the hall and try to sleep.

Bucky would start off present but not entirely, the thousand-yard stare common in those moments. He would curl into himself at first, feet tucked underneath him or knees up against his chest as he huddled against the left arm of your couch. He’d listen to your voice as you rambled to Steve, and every now and then you’d catch an emotion flicker across his handsome face. Finally, his body would relax and he would seek contact with you. Usually he’d reach for your hand, but sometimes he’d stretch out on the couch and rest his head in your lap.

You had always been able to roll your eyes at the flirtatious side of him when he was in a good mood. You’d heard plenty of stories about 1940s Bucky and you thought maybe he was just slipping into old, comfortable habits. But it was in some of the quieter moments, as you were running your hand through his hair and he was drawing lazy patterns against your knee with his finger, that you started thinking there might be actual feelings involved.

You jumped when there was another knock at the front door. You stood again and walked over, thinking it a bit strange that Steve would knock instead of just coming in. A moment later, Bucky was beside you. He was still quiet–you didn’t even hear him leave the couch. The door knob started to rattle and you gasped, feeling a panic creep into your bones. Your found yourself unable to catch your breath and a lump formed in your throat as everything in you suddenly screamed something was  _wrong_.

The red pinpoint of a laser landed on your wall a second before the door crashed open. Men in black combat gear rushed your apartment, grabbing both you and Bucky and dragging you into the hallway. Your heart rate skyrocketed as you tried to make sense of all the yelling. Bucky’s thrashed against the two men trying to keep him in their grasp, growling at them the whole time in a voice that was angry and deep. You couldn’t understand his words but you knew he was furious. And your captors weren’t making sense either. It sounded Russian, but it also sounded jumbled.

You couldn’t find your voice to scream. Were you even fighting as they pulled you both through the hallway? Where was Steve? This was clearly enough noise to draw attention and he had super soldier hearing…

They must’ve knocked you out, because your surroundings had changed. Your hands were bound behind your back as you sat slouched in the cargo space of a work van. A grunt escaped your lips as the driver hit a pothole and your head snapped back, making contact with hard surface behind you.

A harsh voice actually speaking English from the driver’s seat brought your attention away from your growing headache.

“No, take him to the second location.”

Realization made your blood run cold. Your eyes flew around the space, as if you’d somehow missed a rather large additional person tied up with you. Bucky was gone. They’d separated you and you had no idea where either of you were going.

Moments later the van stopped and you were dragged toward a decrepit looking shed in the middle of a forest. And you fought back that time. You tried digging your feet into the dirt as one of the men pulled you forward, and you kicked out as they hooked your arms around the back of a chair. You flung curses at them as they spat anger back at you in not-quite-Russian. Once they were satisfied with their restraints, they turned and left you alone.

The space was small and it didn’t take long to scan over everything in the room, hoping there was something that could help you out of the mess you’d found yourself in.

You weren’t sure if time was flying or crawling as you sat there but obviously there was an undeniable sense of urgency to get out. You moved your arms, testing the strength of the rope that held your wrists together. Lifting one shoulder and pushing that elbow away from your body, you were able to twist your wrists until your hand slipped through the knot.

You exploded out of the chair, throwing the ropes across the small room. A quick peek through the gap in the door revealed no nearby guards. You were surprised that the door pushed open at the slightest touch, and without further hesitation you burst into the open space and ran.

Once you were home, no one believed you.

“Well, you’re back. That’s good!”

But it wasn’t  _good_. Bucky was still missing. Steve was nowhere to be found. You had no idea how to get in touch with any of the others. Everyone looked at you with expressions somewhere between concern and condescension. And it was infuriating and frustrating and  _all too much_.

“You don’t understand!” you screamed as the faces all blurred together.

Tears streamed down your cheeks as you lost the battle against your fear. A sob crept up your throat and when it finally broke though, you woke with a gasp.

Sitting straight up in your bed, you immediately noticed your elevated breathing. Wide eyes scanned your bedroom even though everything was still shrouded in darkness. In a flash, you remembered everything and all the emotions from your nightmare washed over you.

You squeezed your eyes shut as cries started quietly, but as the images of Bucky being dragged away from you burned into the inside of your eyelids, you found yourself almost hyperventilating.

He’d disappeared and God, you’d felt so helpless.

Throwing the covers from your body, you stumbled on shaky legs through the apartment. You flung your front door open and left it wide as you slumped against the door across the hall. It was an entirely new feeling for you. You just needed to see them. You needed to know they were alright and in one piece–anything to keep the spark of fear from catching and consuming you.

You didn’t even know if they were home. They could’ve been on a mission or at the compound, then what would you do? Turning your back to their door, you wrapped your arms around your knees and coughed out another sob. You mind was still so foggy you couldn’t even remember if you knocked or not. But if they were home, they’d hear you, right?

Right?

If you hadn’t been securely wrapped around yourself, you would’ve fallen backwards when the door opened. A strong pair of arms lifted you from the ground before you really had a chance to react.

Steve.

Your head fell against his shoulder as he cut through their living room and kicked at a door.

“Buck! Wake up and get out here.”

As soon as Bucky’s door opened, his face paled. You were sure you looked like a small mess in Steve’s arms. You shut your eyes again to try to keep from crying out, instead really focusing on taking deep breaths to calm down.

Bucky took you from Steve and stared around his living room. “Where d'you wanna be, sweetheart? What’s gonna be most comfortable?”

“Doesn’t matter. I just need to.. to make sure you’re alright.” You were already breathing easier but you still reached up and grabbed the material of his tank top in your hand.

His hair tickled your face as he leaned down to try to catch your eyes. “To make sure I’m alright?”

“They took you. Us. Th-they took us. And separated us. B-but I got away. I dunno how. I just…”

“Um. Who took us?”

“I dunno. Guys in black gear.”

Bucky made a noise in his throat as he carried you back across the hall with Steve following close behind. He placed you in the middle of the couch and took a step toward your room when he noticed your hand was still gripping his shirt.  
“I’ll be right back.”

You nodded, allowing Bucky to leave your side.

Steve called out to you as he made his way to the kitchen. “Tea or hot chocolate?”

You told him your preference then leaned over, hiding your face in your hands and listening to Steve rummage around to make your drink. What must they think of you, so freaked out by a nightmare that you cowered against their front door in the middle of the night. Would they still see strength when they looked at you?

You straightened up when you heard the boys returning–Steve approaching with a steaming mug at the same time Bucky came back with your comforter bundled in his arms. Bucky draped the blanket around your shoulders, tucking it close to your body.

As Steve was heading for the front door, Bucky turned to his friend. “Steve, where-”

He turned and looked over his shoulder with a faint smirk. “I think you guys need to talk through some stuff, and that’ll be easier if I’m not here.”

The silence that settled over your living room after Steve’s departure wasn’t entirely uncomfortable, but it was heavy. You were surprised when Bucky spoke first.

“I uh, I think we’re in trouble here, doll.”

There was a split second of worry before you looked over and saw his expression. A soft smile rested on his face as he shook his head.

“What do you mean?”

He didn’t answer right away, instead continuing with a question. “You know that’s a possibility with me, right?”

“Being abducted?”

“For all of us really, but for me especially. With my past and all…”

You pulled the comforter tighter around you. “Yeah. Yeah, I know.”

“I have those nightmares too–about those Nazi bastards comin’ back for me. Used to be pretty common until recently. It… ah, it changed a while ago and now… now I dream that they come for you.”

He finished his confession so quietly, you weren’t sure if what you heard was actually what he said.

“Me? Bucky, you… you think they’ll come for  _me_?”

You watched him fidget next to you. His flesh and cybernetic hands wrung together and his eyes fell to the floor, allowing his hair to shield his face from your questioning stare. His shoulders rose and fell as he took a deep breath, but he remained quiet.

After a minute of silence, you wriggled out of your blanket cocoon and turned your body toward the super soldier beside you. You wanted nothing more than to reach out to him, but you also didn’t want to invade his space in case he was deep in his thoughts.

Bucky kept his face hidden but reached out and grabbed your hand, bringing it back closer to his body. It pulled you forward a bit but you didn’t mind. A second later, he gave a quick squeeze to your hand and finally turned to look into your eyes.

“You’ve been great, y'know? I’ve had a lot of doubts about whether I deserve to be fighting side-by-side with the good guys… whether some of the decisions I make or actions I take on missions are countin’ for me or against me. You’ve helped me calm down and take control of my thoughts and I can’t thank you enough. Steve appreciates everything you do for him too…”

You huffed out a shallow breath and found you were the one looking down that time. “Buck, it sounds like you’re about to say goodbye.”

A bitter laugh escaped through his lips and he shook his head. “I should be. And it’s been in my head for months.”

Your face heated up as he stopped speaking. So maybe you were the only one with a crush. “I mean if that’s how you feel…” you trailed off with a sniffle and tried to pull your hand from Bucky’s grasp.

His grip tightened. “Not a chance, darlin. Sure, maybe we shouldn’t have gotten close to you in the first place but we…  _I_ can’t just drop you. There’s… there’s feelings involved now.”

Your eyes widened as you finally looked up again.

“Just from me. Not that reckless punk I live with.”

A small laugh bubbled up from your chest and your other hand flew to your mouth when it escaped. Bucky’s shoulders relaxed considerably when he heard the noise.

You took a deep breath. “So I uh… yeah I guess I’m in the same boat as you then,” your voice came out a bit quieter than you intended but it still made the super soldier grin.

“Doesn’t necessarily make this easier though.”

“I know.”

A comfortable silence fell over your living room as you both took in the new information.

“So,” you said, trying to ease back into conversation. “Where do we go from here?”

“I’m asking Tony to improve the security in this building. As for everything else… I guess we’ll just see where it goes.”


End file.
